Eugenia uniflora aka Pitanga

Eugenia uniflora, or Surinam cherry, is in the myrtle family. This shrub or small tree stays green all year. It comes from South America. Its range takes in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. It grows on sandy stream banks and in lowland thickets. It also grows in forests and on coastal levees. People grow it for fruit in tropical and subtropical regions.

Garden plants reach 8–20 feet [2.4–6.1 metres] tall. Their spread reaches 6–15 feet [1.8–4.6 metres]. Some accounts give heights of up to 39 feet [12 metres]. It grows at a medium rate and has a dense crown. Its branches spread out from a crooked trunk. The trunk branches low and often forms more than one stem. Suckers can form thick stands around the plant. Thin, tan bark peels off the trunk. The slim young stems have a red tint and no thorns.

The leaves are simple, with one blade, and have an oval shape. They are glossy and have a scent. Pairs grow opposite or almost opposite each other. Each leaf has smooth edges and pinnate veins that branch from a midrib. New leaves are bright red and give clipped hedges a red flush. Small white flowers open in spring and have a pleasant scent. Round fruit with ribs then forms and draws birds. The fruit can be orange, red, or deep purple-black. Eat the flesh only when the fruit is fully ripe. It can taste sweet, sour, bitter, or resinous. People use it in jams, pies, drinks, and frozen desserts. The fruit supplies vitamin C and pectin. The seeds hold much resin and are toxic. Do not eat them.

Full sun and soil that drains fast give the best growth. The plant also grows in part shade. It grows in clay, sand, and loam, in both acid and alkaline soils. It copes with some drought but has poor salt tolerance. UF/IFAS places it in USDA zones 9b–11. Gardeners grow it in pots, hedges, screens, and borders. Training it as a small tree can show its bark and form. Yet UF/IFAS urges against planting it, as it invades parts of Florida. It lists more cause for concern in southern Florida than farther north.

Scale insects and caterpillars can attack the plant. UF/IFAS reports no major disease concerns. Roots rarely cause problems. Folk uses include leaf-based remedies for fevers, coughs, and sore skin. These are folk uses, not proven treatments. People also crush the leaves to drive off insects. The bark supplies tannin. Local uses for the hard wood include tool handles.